Stefan says...
It is no secret that Sean is more of a film aficianado than I am. However, that doesn't mean that I, too, don't have my favorite films - I love a good movie as much as the next guy! Although I don't create an annual list of my personal Top 100 (as Sean often does), I have been thinking about my favorite flicks; not sure what this list actually says about me, but thought I'd list them here anyway...with one caveat: I make no apologies for any title listed here; each movie has become one of my favorites for various reasons, sometimes which are unknown to even me!
If I had to pick my all-time favorite movie, it would be "Rosemary's Baby" (1968), directed by Roman Polanski, based on the book by Ira Levin, and starring Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer, and Ralph Bellamy. Ruth Gordon won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar (and deservedly so) for her portrayal of the evil-in-disguise nosy neighbor Minnie Castevet. It is a huge mistake to dismiss this film as just a horror flick. Rather, it has many layers, and is brilliantly acted and directed. An amazing production. IMO, Mia Farrow should have been nominated as Best Actress, as she very much carries the film. Polanski, too, should have been nominated for Best Director; say what you want about his personal life, but the man is a very talented filmmaker.
A close second is the classic, "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946), directed by Frank Capra, and starring James Stewart, Donna Reed, and Lionel Barrymore. Jimmy Stewart was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar, but lost to Frederic March in "The Best Years of Our Lives." I know, I know, its been played to death, and one could make a case that it is brimming over with schmaltz. But, I still am moved by its message of all of our lives being interconnected, and that "...each man's life touches so many other lives; when he isn't around he leaves an awful hole..." Call me an old sentimentalist, call me a cockeyed optimist, call me a cab. Whatever. I still love this movie. There - I said it and I'm not sorry.
I have to include this one as a new favorite: "Meet Me in St. Louis" (1944), directed by Vincente Minnelli, and starring Judy Garland, Mary Astor, and Lucille Bremer. Not only do I love this movie on its own merits, but it has become a tradition for Sean and me to watch it on Christmas Eve. It was during the viewing of this movie that Sean proposed to me in Dec 2007!
Other faves, in no particular order:
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